The Uses of Taurine Supplements

What Are Taurine Supplements?
Taurine is a non-essential amino acid. An amino acid is one of the building blocks of protein, which the body needs for life. When a food is eaten and digested, the protein in the food is broken down into amino acids, which then recombine to make the proteins that the body can use. Because taurine is a non-essential amino acid doesn''t mean that its not vitally important, but that the body can make it on its own. However, sometimes taurine supplements are needed when the body can't produce enough taurine for some reason.

Taurine is needed to help ease arrhythmias. It also helps to increase the level of oxygen to the heart and lower blood pressure. As it regulates the levels of insulin, it may be useful for people with diabetes. Taurine also helps prevent platelets clumping together and forming abnormal arterial clots, which can lead to heart disease. Taurine works by balancing out the sodium/potassium ratio in the blood and regulating the nervous system.

Taurine has also been known to support the production of brain chemicals and might be of help to people suffering from epilepsy. Taurine is also a major ingredient in bile, and may guard against gallstone formation. It may also help with anxiety.

There are several reasons for a person to be deficient in taurine. The person might be suffering from a poor diet. They may have been subject to some kind of stress like disease, trauma, infection, medication or some kind of chemical imbalance. Old age might also require a person to start taking taurine supplements. Usually, the person's physician will give them a blood test to see if they're deficient in taurine. Taurine and other amino acids can be taken therapeutically, which means they can be taken when a person isn't deficient in them. Still, a person shouldn't start on a course of taurine supplements unless they're given the go-ahead by their doctor.

When taurine or another amino acid is used as a supplement, the letter L or D appears before the name on the label. The user should buy the L form of the supplement, since it's closer in form to the amino acids the body naturally produces.

A regimen of pure taurine supplements shouldn't be taken longer than three months without a doctor's supervision. After that, the supplement should be taken with a mix of other amino acids like carnitine, arginine, glutamine, cysteine and others, to make sure that the user is getting the right balance of amino acids. While the user is taking taurine or other amino acid supplements, they should cut down on high protein foods for the same reason. Ideally, taurine supplements should be taken ninety minutes before or after a meal, to make sure they're taken on an empty stomach. Taurine supplements should also be taken at a different time of day than mixed amino acid supplements.

Taurine supplements can be taken as capsules, tablets, liquid or powder. The liquid form is absorbed more readily by the body. Taurine is sometimes found in energy drinks.

Though there don't seem to be too many side effects with even high doses of taurine, too high a dosage of amino acids might produce gastrointestinal upsets like diarrhea or nausea and vomiting.